Exam dates
Exam dates, from the source
Dates for Sri Lanka's three national exams, taken from the Department of Examinations. Each one links to the document it came from.
Last checked 26 October 2026.
G.C.E. Advanced Level
Next exam
Not announced yet
Last exam
2026 exam
10 August 2026 to 5 September 2026
Results released: Not released yet
Last exam
2025 exam
Results released: 31 March 2026
- Candidates sit three subjects, plus the Common General Test. For university entrance, the University Grants Commission asks for at least an S in all three subjects in one sitting, within three attempts, and at least 30% in the Common General Test.
- In the 2025 A/L, 281,810 candidates sat and 176,527 (62.64%) became eligible for university entrance.
Sources
- Department of ExaminationsDepartment of Examinations: G.C.E. A/L 2026 amended timetable (25 June 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Department of ExaminationsDepartment of Examinations: Performance of candidates, G.C.E. A/L 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- News reportNewsfirst: 2025 A/L results released (1 April 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Department of ExaminationsUniversity Grants Commission: Student Handbook 2024/25 (opens in a new tab)
G.C.E. Ordinary Level
Next exam
2026 exam
8 December 2026 to 17 December 2026
Results released: Not released yet
Last exam
2025 exam
17 February 2026 to 26 February 2026
The 2025 exam was sat in 2026.
Results released: 19 June 2026
- The Ministry of Education has said the O/L will first be held under the new curriculum in 2029.
Sources
- Department of ExaminationsDepartment of Examinations: G.C.E. O/L 2026 timetable (6 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Department of ExaminationsDepartment of Examinations: G.C.E. O/L 2025 (2026) press release (opens in a new tab)
- News reportNewsfirst: 2025 O/L results released (20 June 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Department of ExaminationsMinistry of Education: education reform announcement (August 2025) (opens in a new tab)
Grade 5 Scholarship
Next exam
Not announced yet
Last exam
2026 exam
9 August 2026
Results released: 2 September 2026
All-island cut-off marks
| Year | Sinhala medium | Tamil medium | At or above the cut-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 139 | 135 | 56,000 of 289,867 (19.32%) |
| 2025 | 140 | 134 | 51,969 of 303,671 (17.11%) |
- The Ministry of Education has said there is no decision to abolish the Grade 5 Scholarship exam.
- District cut-off marks are published separately each year; we only list figures from the Department's own documents.
Sources
- Department of ExaminationsDepartment of Examinations: Grade 5 Scholarship 2026 timetable (2 June 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Department of ExaminationsDepartment of Examinations: Performance of candidates, Grade 5 Scholarship 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- News reportAda Derana: Grade 5 results released (2 September 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Department of ExaminationsMinistry of Education: education reform announcement (August 2025) (opens in a new tab)
Get the next exam dates by email
Not ready to make an account? Leave your email and we will write about the one thing you choose: new courses and lessons, Sri Lankan exam dates, or new past papers. Nothing else.